Gas generator



Juny 24,1923. 11,462,7@5 J. M YKIRBY ET AL Y,

GAS GENERATOR Filed Mafch s, 1921 Patented July 24, 1923.

Leidt,

Parana arriba.

. JOSEPH M. KIBBY AND BERT E. `l-IAIR/TSON, 0F BOULDER, COLORADO.

GAS GENERATOR.

Application filed March 3, 1921. Serial No. 449,494.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH M; KIRBY and BERT E. HAR'rsoN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at the city of Boulder, and county ofBoulder and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gas Generators; and we do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of ref' erence ymarked thereon, which forma part of this'specification.-

The object rof this invention is to facilitate inflationivof `tires whenno source of compressed air` is` at hand, without resorting 'tothelaborious" task of operating a hand pump. y

It frequently happens that it is necessary to stop in some remote placeto repair a tube which has been punctured. This `requires subsequentinflation and ordinarily this must be done bymeans of a hand pump whichis slow and difficult. Even where spare tires or tubes are carried,punctures often Occur, especially on long trips, in suilicient number touse up all the spare tires and tubes, so as to require repair of thosewhich have been punctured.

In order to facilitate inflation of tires, this invention presents. amethod and means for conducting the same whereby the tire may beinflated by means of gas generated chemically.

Briefly, the invention comprises the mingling of two or more substanceswhich chemically generate gas in large quantities and under pressuresufficient to `produce inflation. rlhe mechanism used comprises acontainer having in one end a partition providing two chambers, one ofwhich may receive a solid, and the other a liquid. After the covermember has been sealed in place, the container is adapted to be invertedso as to mingle the materials and cause generation of gas which is ledfrom the container to the tire or other article to be inflated.Preferably the `chemicals used are sodium bicarbonate and sulphuricacid, because they yield a larger quantity of gas under pressure highenough for inflation purposes.

The drawings disclose a' container equipped to carry on the method ofthis invention.` In these drawings the container is shown as composed ofa lower member 10 and a top member 12, the member 10 having threads 14to receive threads 15 of the member 12. An annular shoulder 16 isprovided on the part 1C) to receive a sealing ring 18 against which theedge of part 12 is forced t0 seal the container. rlhe lower member 10 is`provided with a diametricallydisposed partition 20 which divides thesame into two chambers, one of which as indicated at L is adapted toreceive a liquid, and the other indicated at S is adapted to receive asolid. formed in `the lower part of the chamber S by means of a screen22, which is supported across said chamber S by means of a shoulder 24.Said screen 22 may be forced into position so that friction will retain-it when the container is inverted. A nipple 25 is provided on theoutside of member l() for the purpose of conducting gas` generated inthe container `from the chamber C. rlhe nipple 25 is threaded to receivea union 26 on a piece of hose or tubing 28 provided 'at its opposite endwith a connection 30 to be attached to the valve of a tire in well-knownfashion. A pop valve 32 is provided leading from the chamber C andadjustable to varying pressures, as by means of a rotatable thumb screw34.

In use a liquid, preferably sulphuric acid, is placed in the chamber Land a solid, preferably .sodium bicarbonate, is placed in the chamber Supon the screen 22. The cover portion 12 is then screwed firmly intoplace, so as to seal` the container; the con* nection 8O is screwed intoposition on the valve of the tire to be inflated, and the con tainer isinverted. This allows the sodium bicarbonate and the sulphuric acid tofall intothe member 12, whereupon the gener* ation of gas commences. Thescreen 22 is line enough t0 serve as the separating means to prevent thepassage of particles of liquid or solid, so that a clean gas isconducted through the hose 28 to the tire. At the same time the smallchamber C will serve as a collector and condenser for small quantitiesof vapor which may pass through the screen 22. The popl valve 32 isadjusted by means of the screw 3() so that when the pressure in the tirereaches a given point, the surplus gas will be blown off through saidvalve 32.

Preferably, the chemicals will be provided in measured form, thatis, thebicarbonate A small chamber C is lli ' ing measured quantities of thesolid and liquid may be used instead.

1 F rom the foregoing it will be seen that we have invented al simplemethod and apparatus to be used in conjunction therewith tor chemicallyinflating tires or the like, said apparatus being adapted to be carriedin a small space in an automobile and itself adapted to carry a :fairsize stock of materials in small bottles or in the form of tablets andcapsules.

Obviously the process may include also thelgeneration of ygas within thecontainer by application of heat or by slovv combustion. 4

We claim: i

1. A portable ini-lating device comprising a container adapted to beinverted having at one end a liquid-receiving chamber and asolid-receiving chamber7 the other end being `adapted to receive liquidand solid v as itl falls lfrom` said Achambers when inverted,. and ahose leading from the con tainer to conduct gas generated therein.

Q. A portable inflating `device comprising a `container adapted tobeinverted having at one end a liquid-receiving chamber and asolid-receiving chamber, the other end being adapted to-receive liquidand solid as it falls from said chambers When inverted, a screen in saidsolid-receiving chamber and spaced from the bottom thereot to receivea'solid and to provide a gasreceiving chambervbetween said bottom andsaid screen, and a hose leading from said gas-receiving chamber to"conduct gas generated in the container and supplied to saidgas-receiving chamber through said screen.V

a. A portable iniating device comprising al container' adapted to beinverted having at one end a liquid-receiving ychamber and asolid-receiving chamber, the y other end being adapted to receive liquidand solid as it falls from said chambers When` inverted, a screen insaid solid-receiving chamber and spaced from .the bottom thereot toreceive a solid andto provide a gasreceiving chamber between saidbott/om and said screen, ahose leading from said gasreceiving chamber toconduct gas generated in the container and supplied to said gasreceivingchamber through saidv screen, and.

a pop-valve also leading from said `gas-receiving chamber.

In testimony whereof vwe aiX-ourvsig natures.

